Saturday, April 28, 2012

Admission: Garden Voyeurism (An Ongoing Issue)

RECENTLY LOREE OF Danger Garden fame, featured photos of a large agave growing on a meticulously groomed berm in Portland. It reminded me of a similarly-sized agave growing in a Corvallis yard, not quite so meticulous, as I discovered from my lunch-hour voyeurism. 

The house is located a stone's throw from the Oregon State University campus. Things in this area are,well,
relaxed. Notice the chair left in the driveway. This sort of thing is not uncommon around here.

I wish the owner would have emerged and given me a tour. As it was, I shamelessly clicked photos
while cars zoomed by on the busy street. This is a section of the tiny front yard.

Wait for it... Here it is, Loree! Just a peak while the neighboring fan palm vies for attention.
I didn't noticed until after uploading the photos that the mother agave has babies! 

Viola! Ain't she a dandy! She could use some clean up but, along this south-facing wall she's thriving.
Perhaps thriving a little too well since it's clear she's outgrown her post. 

Her babies, to the left with an unidentifiable succulent between them. 

No Danger Garden would be complete without an Opuntia grove. 

The view inside the fence. Try not to drool, Loree! Thems some dangerous looking spikes. 

The house color blends nicely with the Opuntia. Check out that cute cactus hiding behind the half eaten agave. 

An island bed posing as a "tropical" island maybe? 

And there you have it. A Danger Garden right in the thick of Corvallis culture. 


I had to photograph the building next door. I was half expecting Evita to
spring open the door and start singing. 

While on the subject of garden voyeurism, I had to include these last photos.
This is the largest Loropetalum I've seen. It grows just a few blocks from
the Danger Garden and is in full bloom. Lovely! 



To close, this is one of my smaller garden inhabitants. He's a little camera shy. 

As always, 

15 comments:

  1. Hi Grace, how cool that your found a danger garden in Corvallis. I'm sure Loree will enjoy the photos :)Cheers, Jenni

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  2. These little dangerous areas are cute...some clean up would help, but what they heck. I too have a yard here in N. Florida that I need to photo for Loree....nice Grace. We know all too well about campus life around here. Our church is right by the football stadium, we even do parking for the games...clean up on Sunday morning is always a treat...

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  3. Great post!
    Great pictures!
    Great prose!
    Great Portland!

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  4. Now you have me wanting to find Danger Gardens too.....fun post!
    Sherry

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  5. Wow! Thank you Grace...there is so much to love there and unlike the two Portland gardens I've recently featured no amazing rocky slope to help with drainage issues. Is Corvallis in a strange little warm pocket that I am unaware of? I did notice what must be a rain shelter in the last photo, so they are taking care of what they've got. And while I hear your gripe about the chair (and could commiserate with my own stories) I do love that it appears to be positioned so the user can stare at the monster Agave!

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  6. Love the danger garden find, what a treat and in the middle of the U-district. Cheers!

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  7. Gracie girl I had no idea you could grow these some what desert type plants on the west coast with so much rain ! I so wish there were some agave that were cold tolerant .. we do have a native cactus though believe it or not that can survive our winters .. but those agave are something else .. I wish I could have frogs that would sing for me ;-(
    Joy

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  8. No escaping danger...even in Beaver territory!

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  9. That garden is a bit too spikey for me but I admire their gusto. It seems weird to me that such desert loving plants would thrive in Oregon. I wonder how much beer they're watered with considering how close they are to the school. :o)

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  10. Great pics. I love, love, love, looking at other gardens, especially when it's obviously a loved garden like this one.

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  11. Lovely neighborhood, I enjoyed seeing it through your eyes. And froggie is cute!

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  12. I am very very guilty of this, and then sometimes on top of it, making FUN of the garden and every so often I have a pang of guilt about it. But I still do it. Besides, I have come across some random postings of the street side of my house on the internet. So, there, I'm justified. :)

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  13. What a danger garden and a bit of voyeurism and what a fun lunch hour!
    I think if I lived in the area it would become a favorite walk/drive by spot!
    The Loropetalum isn't something I am familiar with, beautiful.

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  14. I would never think of a cactus garden growing so well in the land of rain drops and not so hot. But, really for a relaxed gardener, works quite well doesn't it. Sweet little creature closer to home....

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  15. Grace - again, I go back to my comment that you live in "Mayberry"! The plant variety in your area is fantastic. Garden "voyeurism" - great concept!

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